Love's Philosophy
by immortalbeloved13
Summary: Penny begins receiving love notes from a mysterious admirer.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Let me first apologize to my faithful readers for how late-coming the sequel to "My Fair Penny" has been! I'm back in school again and I have hardly any time to sleep, never mind indulge, sadly. However, I AM working on it, and I promise you will all get it! This story is just a sweet little something for Valentine's Day. I figured I'd start now, so hopefully it will be finished by then. I hope you all enjoy it! Any feedback is much appreciated.

**Chapter One****: Love's Philosophy**

The first of the envelopes appeared one Saturday night, not too long before Valentine's Day. Penny had just returned to her place from doing laundry with Sheldon.

It had been a weird laundry night. For one thing, Sheldon had been the one who had kept the conversation going. It was usually her. She figured she was just tired. She had broken up with Leonard a few months before because she had realized that she had feelings for his whack a doodle roommate. Not that Sheldon noticed. Not that she'd every say anything either. It really was like dealing with a frightened baby deer. She just hoped that eventually he'd come to her.

The weirdest part of the evening though, had been _what_ Sheldon was talking to her about. He had kept asking her about _books_, of all things. Sure, she knew he liked to read, but not literature. He usually stuck to scientific stuff and comics. Tonight, he had been talking about his new interest in Jane Austen, and had wanted to know Penny's thoughts on that great lady's works (she loved them of course. What kind of self-respecting girl wouldn't?).

She shook her head.

_Lord only knows what he's up to know._

All she knew was that it looked like she would be spending this Valentine's Day alone, something she definitely wasn't used to.

Then she saw the envelope. It was sitting on top of the stack of mail that she had tossed on the coffee table earlier before hurrying downstairs for laundry night. She hadn't noticed it in her haste.

Her name was on the front, on a printed label. That was all. She opened it up and took out a sheaf of paper. It too was typed and, she noticed as she glanced over it quickly, unsigned. Curious, she read:

Dear Penny,

More than anything, I have wanted to tell you how I feel about you. I've been admiring you from afar for so long. To my chagrin though, I have found my own words and bungled attempts to be inadequate. I have turned to the greats for their assistance in conveying the depth of my regard for you. I hope this note finds you well.

"Love's Philosophy"

The fountains mingle with the river,

And the rivers with the ocean;

The winds of heaven mix forever

With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In another being's mingle—

Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,

And the waves clasp one another;

No sister flower could be forgiven

If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth,

And the moonbeams kiss the sea—

What are all these kissings worth,

If thou kiss not me?

--Percy SHELLEY

Penny folded up the note and clasped it to her chest, cheeks pink. She felt just like one of the girls in the stories she loved so much.

_Maybe this Valentine's Day won't be __**such**__ a bust after all._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I have a pretty good background in Renaissance Lit, but I have sadly not had much experience with the work of John Donne. I humbly beg forgiveness for any glaring errors in poetic interpretation! Enjoy!

**Chapter Two****: Love's Alchemy**

If there was any job worse than waitressing, Penny would have been glad to hear about it. At the moment, however, she doubted that such a thing even existed. She'd had a terrible night. Customer after customer had been a pain in the ass of Sheldon-like proportions (lord love him, but he was demanding!) and her tips did nothing to compensate for the trouble she had gone to for those people. To top it all off, her manager had practically called her stupid right to her face. In front of the guys too. Leonard had looked like he had been about to stick up for her, but she had silenced him with a look. She hadn't wanted to make things any worse than they were.

She sighed, exhausted. All in all, she was glad to be home.

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny."

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny."

_Knock knock knock_

"Penny."

_Just when things were looking up!_ She thought. She felt bad right away. Maybe Sheldon had just come to check on her. He had been getting really good at the whole "best friend" thing, after all. She opened the door.

"Hey sweetie, what's up?"

He handed her a stack of mail. "Since you neglected to fetch your mail earlier I thought I'd just do it for you."

"Thanks Sheldon."

"Oh, you're welcome. I'd rather the super not come to me to complain again about your leaving your mail box full to bursting."

"Gee, you're so sweet." She rolled her eyes and walked away, sorting through the pile. "Bill, bill, junk, bill," she said, tossing them into the trash. Then she came upon another envelope that looked very much like the last one she had gotten from her mystery man. She gasped and tore open excitedly.

_Dear Penny,_

_I am sorry you had such a terrible time at work today. I, for one, do not think you are stupid. You are clever in your own right, witty, warm, and genuine, and do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise. I only wish there was more I could have done for you at the time. Perhaps this will somehow improve your evening. Don't let them bring you down, my dear._

"_Love's Alchemy"_

_Some that have deeper digg'd love's mine than I,_

_Say, where his centric happiness doth lie._

_I have loved, and got, and told,_

_But should I love, get, tell till I were old,_

_I should not find that hidden mystery._

_O! 'tis imposture all;_

_And as no chemic yet th'elixir got,_

_But glorifies his pregnant pot,_

_If by the way to him befall_

_Some odoriferous thing, or medicinal,_

_So, lovers dream a rich and long delight,_

_But get a winter-seeming summer's night._

_--John DONNE_

Penny read it over thoughtfully a couple times, but couldn't quite make out exactly what it meant.

"Sheldon, would you take a look at this? I'm not sure what to make of it."

"Certainly Penny," he took it and read it over quickly. "Why, it's fairly obvious. You have some sort of secret admirer."

"I know _that_, Sheldon," she huffed. "I'm talking about the poem!"

"Oh! Well…" he shuffled, suddenly nervous. "Well, he seems to be saying that he does not quite understand the curious dichotomies present in the works of the great poets, particularly Petrarch. Petrarch felt such intense love for the lady Laura that he 'burned in winter' and 'froze in summer,' and yet it was always a challenge for him to communicate and pinpoint exactly what it was that he was struggling with. Where did this emotion come from? What does it all mean? Donne also appears to be suggesting that such ponderous effort is insufficient, and paradoxes like cold summer nights are not much more than hokum put forth by the love-addled mind. He is also declaring his own inadequacy by saying that he has yet to dig as deeply into the subject as men like Petrarch have in their works."

Penny ran that through her Sheldon-to-English dictionary.

"So, you mean that words weren't quite enough to capture that certain something he felt for the woman he loved? That love is tricky to define?"

"Precisely."

Penny flushed, feeling very pleased with herself. She liked it when she understood Sheldonese. She sat on the couch and Sheldon took his usual seat.

"Penny, is this the first such note that you have received?"

"Uh-uh. This is the second one. I got the first one on Saturday."

"I see. And do you have any idea who's been sending them?"

"Well, based on this one, I'm wondering if it's Leonard." Sheldon didn't respond. She felt a weird obligation to point out that, if it was Leonard, she would not be reciprocating. "It's obviously someone who saw what happened at work tonight, and Leonard looked like he wanted to stick up for me," she hurried to explain. "The writer says that he wishes he could've done more… Not that I _want_ it to be Leonard, or anything! I mean, he's a good friend, but we broke up months ago and I just don't feel that way toward him…" she trailed off, embarrassed.

Sheldon only said very quietly, "I don't think it's Leonard."

"How come?"

"He's seeing Stephanie again."

"Oh. Oh, I see," she bit her lip, concentrating. "Maybe it's someone from work?"

Sheldon looked very uncomfortable with this whole conversation. "Penny, I only asked because this person has clearly been keeping tabs on you and has access to our building. It may not be safe!"

She patted his arm, feeling touched by his concern. "Thanks sweetie, but I think it's harmless." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm not expecting anything to come from it. I mean, whoever it is won't even tell me his name!" She smiled. "No, it's just a bit of fun."

Sheldon shot to his feet. He was very red in the face. "I see. Well, if that will be all I believe I am going to bed." He nodded at her awkwardly. "Goodnight, madam," he said, heading out the door.

"Goonight, Moon Pie!" she called after him. She frowned. If Sheldon couldn't even handle a conversation about theoretical romance, how on earth would he react if she ever came clean about her feelings? She tucked the note into a book for safekeeping and went to bed, glad that the day was over and she could just stop thinking.

. . .

Sheldon shut his own door behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. Penny had no idea who she was receiving letters from. As long as she didn't ask him who he thought was behind it all, he felt that he could keep his facial tics under control. After all, omitting the truth was not exactly the same as lying.

He felt a stab of disappointment when he recalled that she seemed to think it was all a lark. His resolve remained firm, however, in his hoping that, when he finally revealed himself, she would be able to reciprocate the feelings that he had been hiding for so long.

With a firm stride, he went into his room and settled in for another long night of reading poetry.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Many thanks to everyone for their kind words! I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying Sheldon's little word game. This chapter is a bit longer than the last, which I hope you also like!

Just a suggestion, and you by no means have to agree with me, but I feel that everyone, at some point in their lives, should check out _Astrophil and Stella_. It is just lovely. I'd also highly recommend "The Princess in the Frog!"

**Chapter Three****: Astrophil and Stella**

That Thursday was "Anything Can Happen Thursday," and with Valentine's Day only being a little over two weeks away, the spirit of the holiday seemed to be affecting everyone's plans. The guys, with the exception of Sheldon of course, all had dates that night. Even Raj had managed to talk to a girl long enough to ask her out. Penny, like Sheldon, appeared home bound for the evening. She didn't feel like spending her night off alone though, so she went over to 4A hoping that Sheldon would at least have some kind of movie marathon going on.

When she walked in the door, she was surprised to find the apartment in the dark. The only light coming in was that of the moon and the streetlights, shining in through the window.

"Sheldon?" she called out, feeling disappointed that he didn't seem to be home after all.

She breathed out a relieved sigh when he came out of his bedroom, carrying his telescope.

"Ah, Penny! You've arrived just in time to join me."

"For what?"

"Stargazing!" he explained, setting up the telescope near the window.

She walked over to him, frowning. That's all well and good, sweetie, but how do you expect to see anything? The streetlights are all on. Plus, you know, we live in a _city_."

He just shook his head, smiling patronizingly.

"Penny, Penny, Penny. How many times do I have to say it? When you understand the laws of physics, anything is possible."

As he spoke, all the lights on their block and on the blocks immediately surrounding them went out. She grabbed his arm in her surprise, but he just laughed his Sheldony laugh. She sensed a "bazinga" coming her way.

"Of course, even more things are possible when you know someone who has access to the city's electrical grid."

Penny couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You know sweetie, I'm starting to think that just about anything is possible if your name is Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D."

Sheldon didn't say anything, but he looked very pleased.

They both looked out the window and up at the night sky. Penny gasped. The stars were out in full force now. The sky was clear and Penny could see more of the distant twinkling lights than she had been able to since she had left Nebraska.

"Sheldon it's so beautiful," she breathed.

. . .

Sheldon's heart was pounding. He was grateful that it was mostly dark in the room and that Penny would be unable to see his florid cheeks.

He reached out a tentative hand and placed it on her shoulder. She leaned into his touch and he felt his stomach flutter nervously.

"Would you like me to point out the constellations? As someone who partakes in astrology, I feel you would find them to be of some inertest to you."

In the low light he could see her grin widely.

"Sweetie I'd love that! How do we work the telescope?"

"It was merely a precaution, only needed should the lights have failed to go out. I believe my own eyes will suffice."

She shrugged.

"Ok."

. . .

Penny was surprised but thrilled when he put his arm around her and drew her in close. She curled into his side and listened, enraptured, as he began grouping different stars together. He showed her Orion, the Big and Little Dippers, the North Star, Cassiopeia, Taurus, Sirius…

"Ooo! Like in Harry Potter, right?"

Rather than snap at her or make some kind of retort, he good naturedly agreed.

"Yes. Sirius is also commonly referred to as 'the Dog Star,' which is in perfect keeping with the fact that Sirius Black's Animagus form is a dog."

There was a pause, and then Penny was unable to keep from asking "Which one do you think is Evangeline?"

She had dragged him with her a couple of months back to the movies to see "The Princess and the Frog." One character, a loveable and adorable firefly named Ray, had been in love with a star named Evangeline. Even though their love seemed impossible, Ray had always believed in it. Penny had thought it was just wonderful. Sheldon would never admit it, she knew, but she could tell he had loved it too. They had both totally cried when Ray had died and become a star so that he could finally be with his Evangeline.

Sheldon surprised her again when he pointed out the window to the brightest star in the sky.

"While I know that there is really no such star, if I had to pick one, that would be it."

"Which star is that?"

"Just a star. It has no special name or place in history, yet it is persistently the brightest and loveliest in the sky, even visible in the harsh glare made by the streetlights."

Penny sighed contentedly and snuck a glance up at his face. He was smiling gently, his eyes shining as he looked out at "Evangeline." Penny felt inexplicably moved.

She stood on tiptoe, intending to kiss him on the cheek, when there was a loud knock on the door. She ended up falling against Sheldon, who yelped in surprise. There was the whoosh of paper being slid under the door and then nothing else.

Sheldon went over and picked up an envelope.

"Penny, I believe your admirer has graced you with another note."

"What does it say?" she bounced over excitedly.

"You want _me_ to read it to you?" he asked, his voice going up an octave.

"Of course honey! There's probably a poem in there, and who better to tell me what it means?" She smiled sweetly.

Sheldon huffed and walked over to the sofa to turn on the lamp.

"Fine."

. . .

He hoped Penny wouldn't notice his hands shaking. Pausing a moment to calm himself and remind himself that Penny must not yet know that he was the note writer, he deftly popped the note open and pulled out a piece of paper, reading aloud.

"My Dear Penny,

I hope you have a chance to do some stargazing tonight. The skies are promising to be clear and we city dwellers really should make use of the opportunity whenever we can. There is one star in particular that I hope you see tonight, because it always puts me in mind of you, and how you 'shine' on persistently, even though the harsh lamplight may do its worst to try to dull you. Never lose who you are, Penny. You are singular and precious.

_Astrophil and Stella_, Sonnet 1."

Sheldon paused.

"Stella means 'star' and Astrophil translates as 'star lover' Penny."

She just nodded at him, willing him to go on.

He cleared his throat and continued:

"Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,

That she (dear She) might take some pleasure of my pain:

Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,

Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain;

(He wants to 'get with you,' if I am using the phrase correctly.)

I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe,

Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain:

Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow

Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burn'd brain.

(He's looked to the classics for poetic inspiration.)

But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay,

Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,

And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.

(He didn't quite get what he was searching for there.)

Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,

Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite—

'Fool,' said my Muse to me, 'look in thy heart and write.'

--Sir PhiLIp SIdney"

Sheldon refolded the note.

"Well, that last bit was self-explanatory."

He handed the paper over to her. She hadn't said a word or even looked at him as he read.

"Is something wrong, Penny?"

She snapped out of her reverie and smiled at him.

"No honey, I had just been hoping…" she trailed off and shook her head. "Never mind. It's silly."

He could tell that she wasn't being completely honest, but he decided to let it go.

. . .

Penny had to get out of there. Quickly. She flashed her brightest smile at Sheldon and stood to leave.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening honey, but I should get going. I'm supposed to call my mom tonight for our usual chat."

She wasn't lying; she really did have to call her mom. She just usually didn't do it this early.

"Oh. Very well then. Thank you for your company. I too had a very pleasant evening."

He walked her to the door where they hovered awkwardly.

"Well, goodnight Sheldon."

She stood on her toes and managed to reach his cheek this time. He froze, his "Goodnight" dying on his lips. She didn't say another word; she just left.

. . .

Penny leaned against her door and fought back tears of disappointment. Over the last few days, she had begun to hope against hope that Sheldon was her bard in disguise. He had seemed so sweet and attentive all night, and when he had read that poem it was so _intense_ and _passionate_. But then he had been kind of crass about it. Also, someone else had delivered that note tonight. She let out a shuddering sigh, feeling hopelessly confused.

. . .

Back in his apartment, Sheldon was still standing in the same spot, his hand held up to where her lips had lingered on his cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: And so we reach the end. I want to thank everyone for their lovely support and how well they've received this story. It's really cool to be able to put something out there that people enjoy.

I'd just like to point out that I'm working with a slightly more emotionally evolved Sheldon here. Which I guess is another way to warn that he's definitely OOC.

The poem that Sheldon attempts to recite in this chapter is "The Good Morrow," by John Donne. Its usage was suggested by CSI Ames, and I was more than happy to take up the offer! This chapter is also dedicated to CSI Ames, who I hope enjoys it!

In case I do not get to say it in time for the appropriate date, I hope everyone has a very happy Valentine's Day!

**Chapter Four****: Canzoniere**

It was Valentine's Day. Penny was pacing nervously around her living room. Leonard and Sheldon had left so that Sheldon could pick up his supper before Leonard went to dinner with Stephanie. Penny knew Sheldon would order enough to feed her as well; she just wasn't sure if she would be going over to 4A or not.

The last couple of weeks had been awkward. Not bad, exactly, but awkward. On Thai food night, Penny had accidentally touched Sheldon's food. He hadn't freaked out. On Halo night, he had begged her to be on his team and had even done a victory dance with her after they had annihilated the others. She had thought that he didn't dance. Then, the last time they had gone paintballing, he had not only taken a bullet for her, he had allowed himself to fall to the ground in her defense. He did not like dirt.

Otherwise, though, his behavior hadn't really changed at all. They still snarked at each other, they still had their sweet little moments, and he was still just Sheldon. She loved him for that, but it was doing nothing to help her confusion. Would he, _could_ he, ever feel the same way she did?

On top of all that, she was still getting absolutely nowhere with finding the identity of her mystery man. She hadn't received another note, and the three she had didn't provide her with any substantial clues.

She growled and tore at her hair in frustration.

Just then, there was a telltale whoosh of paper sliding on the floor. She lunged toward her door and yanked it open, but there was no one there, just another envelope with her name on it.

She went back inside and tore open the small packet, her eyes devouring the words hungrily.

_Dearest Penny,_

_Happy Valentine's Day! You are probably wondering who I am. I will give you a hint: Look for me in the capitals._

_Canzoniere, Sonnet 61_

_Oh blessed be the day, the month, the year,_

_the season and the time, the hour, the instant,_

_the gracious countryside, the place where I_

_was struck by those two lovely eyes that bound me;_

_and blessed be the first sweet agony_

_I felt when I found myself bound to Love,_

_the bow and all the arrows that have pierced me,_

_the wounds that reach the bottom of my heart._

_And blessed be all of the poetry_

_I scattered, calling out my lady's name,_

_and all the sighs, and tears, and the desire;_

_blessed be all the paper upon which_

_I earn her fame, and every thought of mine,_

_only of her, and shared with no one else._

_--FrancesCO PEtRarca_

Penny sat down, chewing her lip.

"Ok. The guy loves me. Great." She tossed it onto the coffee table. "Who the heck is it!?"

She kept mulling those words over in her head: _Look for me in the capitals_.

Well, he couldn't mean the capital. Penny had never been to Sacramento. And besides, he had said _capitals_.

She got up and took the other notes down from her bookshelf. There had to be some connection or connections between all of them. She fanned them out in order on the coffee table and stared hard at them.

She looked at the titles: "Love's Philosophy," "Love's Alchemy," _Astrophil and Stella_, and _Canzoniere_.

There didn't seem to be any meaningful connection between them.

She read each poem again, out loud and clearly.

Again, nothing really connected with _capitals_.

Then she looked at the poets' names.

She smacked her forehead.

"Oh my God! The 'capitals'! Duh, Penny!"

There was some funky capitalization going on in _every single poet's name_!

She grabbed a pen and paper and looked at the first poem again: Percy SHELLEY.

Obviously, it was the last name that was different, so she wrote that down and went on to the next: John DONNE.

Same thing there.

Next: Sir PhiLIp SIdney. That one took her a moment, but then she figured that the "S," "P," and "S" were capitalized for grammar's sake and just copied down "LII."

Finally, she came to the poem she had just received: FrancesCO PEtRarca. She dismissed the "F" right away, but the "P" gave her pause. It looked like it was part of a sequence, but she may have just been overanalyzing it…

She shrugged and just decided to include it. Besides, if it totally screwed her up, she'd just get rid of it. She wrote down "COPER."

She looked at the entirety of what she had just copied down: SHELLEYDONNELIICOPER.

"What the frack is that supposed to say!?"

She read it out slowly.

"SHELLEY…DONNE…LII…COPER…SHELLEY…DONNE…LII…" she smacked her forehead again. "Holy crap on a cracker!"

She felt…she felt…well, she wasn't quite sure how she felt! For one thing, she was thrilled! Sheldon _loved_ her, or, at least, liked her a whole lot! On the other hand, she was surprised. He had given her almost no sign of how he felt, going so far as to even scoff at the love letters she had been getting.

"Although, he was probably trying to cover up that it was him," she mused. She wondered at how much effort it must have been costing him to keep his face from twitching every time he had looked at her the last few weeks and chuckled.

She picked up the poems again, and now their sender seemed so obvious!

_Love's Philosophy_. Leave it to Sheldon to try and apply logic to something like seduction.

_Love's Alchemy_. Sheldon hadn't "deeply digg'd love's mine," and of course he would suggest that the whole thing was quite possibly hokum.

_Astrophil and Stella_. He had planned for her to walk in on his stargazing escapade all along! Then she blushed, remembering what he had said about "Evangeline": _It has no special name or place in history, yet it is persistently the brightest and loveliest in the sky._

She blinked away sudden tears. "He meant me…" she whispered. She let the tears fall now. They were joyful ones anyway.

Then she came to the last one, from the _Canzoniere_, and really read it carefully this time.

"OH. MY. GOD." She shot to her feet and did a happy dance around the apartment. He _did_ love her! And had for a long time! Maybe even as long as she had been living across the hall from him!

She caught sight of the clock and stopped mid-dance. Sheldon had to be home by now. Maybe he was even waiting for her.

She ran into her room and threw on a cute red sundress before hurrying back over to the coffee table and scribbling something on a piece of paper. She folded it up and marched across the hall to Sheldon's door.

_Knock knock knock_

"Sheldon."

_Knock knock knock_

"Sheldon."

_Knock knock knock_

"Sheldon."

. . .

Sheldon had been pacing around his own living room, waiting for Penny. He kept wringing his hands, hoping that she wouldn't take too long to solve his little riddle.

When she imitated his knock, he gave a little nervous laugh and went to open the door.

He stopped short at the sight of her. She was wearing a very nice red dress and her hair was pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining as she looked up at him. He had never seen anyone look lovelier.

"Hello, Penny," he breathed, stepping aside to let her in.

. . .

Penny's first thought was only "Whoa." Sheldon had gone all out. The table by the sofa was all gussied up, and he had sprung for some delicious looking Italian food. She knew he didn't like candles (they were a fire waiting to happen), so she fully appreciated the luminous goldfish he had used instead.

"Sheldon! Sweetie, this is wonderful!"

He smiled shyly and invited her to take a seat.

"There's something I have to give you first," she said, holding out the paper she had scribbled on a few minutes ago.

. . .

Sheldon took the paper and carefully unfolded it.

_It certainly took you long enough_, he read. He spluttered, his heart rate accelerating to an alarming frequency.

_She feels the same. She…she really loves me!_

He shuffled from foot to foot and ran a nervous hand through his hair, feeling at a complete loss for words for the first time in his life.

. . .

"Just one question, sweetie."

Sheldon nodded.

"Who was your accomplice?"

"Leonard," he choked out.

She just smiled. Well, at least that took care of any potential awkwardness there!

"Just so you know, your letters were really beautiful Sheldon. No one's ever done something so romantic for me before," she gushed.

He was very quiet.

Penny was getting worried. He hadn't really said anything much; he had just turned very red and stood there. Had she been wrong? Was this just a friendly thing?

She was about to ask if he was alright when she spoke.

"My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears, and true plain hearts do in the faces rest. Where can we find two better hemispheres…"

She stopped him by putting a finger up to his lips.

"No honey. Your words are what I want. Just you. Just Sheldon."

. . .

Sheldon gulped. Penny lowered her finger as he nodded.

He stepped closer to her and cupped her cheek in his hand. He put the other hand at the back of her neck and freed her hair from its clip, combing his fingers through her waves as they fell about her shoulders. He traced her collar bone and his fingers trailed off of her skin as he reached her sternum.

Penny was staring raptly at him. Her cheek was warm beneath his palm.

He took a deep breath.

"I love you Penny. I've loved you since we met. Granted, it took me quite some time to sort through the emotions that you've inspired in me, but I've come to realize that you've moved me and changed me from the moment our eyes first met." He paused and then went on, blushing. "Penny…you're my Evangeline."

She didn't say anything; she just threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

He froze only briefly and then wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and kissing her until they were both breathless.

When they eventually broke apart for a bit of air, he rested his forehead against Penny's. Blue eyes met green and he felt himself drowning in them.

Her eyes crinkled in a smile and she whispered "I love you too, Shelley Donne Lii Coper."

THE END (Happy Valentine's Day!)


End file.
